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from the Inferno: from Cantos V, “Circle Two: The Carnal,”
and XXXIV, “Circle Nine: Cocytus” by Dante Alighieri
Reading Strategy: Distinguish Between the
Speaker and the Poet
Dante the poet is the creator of Dante the character, the walker in the woods who tells the
story of the journey through the Inferno. As you read the Inferno, it is important to distinguish
between the writer of the poem and the character who appears in it. Dante uses the character of
the speaker of the poem to convey lessons about love, courage, justice, forgiveness, and faith.
DIRECTIONS: Use these graphic organizers to analyze two examples in which Dante the speaker
should be distinguished from Dante the poet. Choose two statements from Cantos V and XXXIV
that concern Dante the speaker. Then, for each statement, identify the poet’s judgment of the
character and the poet’s purpose.
Speaker:
Dante the character
Speaker:
Dante the character
Statement:
Statement:
Poet’s Judgment:
Poet’s Judgment:
Poet’s Purpose:
Poet’s Purpose:
Unit 5 Resources: From Decay to Rebirth
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